


Academic Suffering

by OverPickled



Category: World Trigger
Genre: Gen, Students, Studying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 10:24:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7680742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverPickled/pseuds/OverPickled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Becoming an Agent of Border meant choosing to apply, and then putting in more effort once you got in. Being a student means having to fulfill societal obligations, like doing the class readings and taking exams. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, not everyone can balance the two of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Academic Suffering

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T only for a bit of swearing and mentions of slight violence

If Kazama had to describe Tachikawa as one of Border’s agents, he would say that Tachikawa is a good leader. There’s a reason why Tachikawa is the current no.1 Attacker, as well as the captain of the A-rank no.1 squad. He has a keen eye for analyzing situations and while his methods can be surprisingly simple, they are effective enough. To put it shortly, the enthusiasm and the amount of effort Tachikawa puts into everything as an agent of Border is commendable.

But sometimes Kazama has lapses when he can’t formulate a reason why Tachikawa is one of Border’s top combatants. Or rather, he doesn’t want to accept that outside of Border’s battles and intramural competitiveness, Tachikawa can be a lost cause. Such as right now.

“Kazama-san!”

Oh, Kazama knew this tone of voice. He walked faster. He didn’t have to borrow Kikuchihara’s side effect to notice the urgency in Tachikawa’s voice. Just a minute ago, Kazama heard Tachikawa’s voice around the corner of the hall, asking some other poor soul for help. Kazama instantly turned around, but lady luck must have looked down on him, because Tachikawa happened to turn into the same corridor Kazama was in.

Hence the current speed walking chase. Kazama debated escaping in his trion body; Chameleon always had its uses.

“Kazama-san,” Tachikawa pleaded. “Could you please-”

“No.”

“I didn’t even finish my sentence!” Unfortunately, due to the universe being as it is, Tachikawa catches up to Kazama. This is one of the moments when Kazama curses the disadvantage of having shorter legs. Damn taller, idiotic juniors who don’t understand the principle of learning from past mistakes. Experience has taught him that Tachikawa will cling onto Kazama like a leech until he acquiesces to help solve Tachikawa’s (never-ending) problem.  


Experience also reminds him -very, very much- that he does not want to be involved with this particular problem. But it’s too late now.

So Kazama stops, and so does Tachikawa, who then circles around to be in front. The former closes his eyes and breathes a deep sigh. There’s no avoiding it, he thinks. Might as well head it straight on.

“It’s almost exam season.”

“Yes,” says Tachikawa, who looks far too optimistic for a person Kazama thinks should be having a mental breakdown right about now. Tachikawa’s academic standards are too low. Or is this the kind of mettle it takes to be no.1 Attacker in Border?

“You need someone to tutor you.” There’s an unspoken ‘again’, but the meaning is lost as Tachikawa doesn’t pick up on it. Or he chose to ignore it. He nods eagerly instead, and Kazama weighs his options sullenly. Everything he can think of to get out of this gets deflected by his evaluation of the sheer stubbornness and childishness of Tachikawa. It’s not like this kind of exchange hasn’t happened before; Kazama, with increasing inner horror, notes that it’s become practically ritual. With a heavy sigh, he gives his own demands. 

After all, he’s not spending his own free time on Tachikawa’s academic survival for free.

“No sparring requests for two weeks, and you’re buying me food after each study session.”

 

 

Hours later, Kazama gazes upward and silently prays. Prays for more patience, because if he prays for strength, he’ll end up destroying something (someone). He doesn’t need the added stress of damage costs. How could he face his team? But the urge to stab Tachikawa (in a trion body) doesn’t go away. 

Discipline, Kazama tells himself. Making sure others accomplish their own work is also a form of self-training. Possibly. In some way Kazama could probably explain to himself, but Tachikawa’s nagging is breaking down Kazama’s resolve.  
If only Tachikawa’s zeal for training would overflow into his academic endeavors, Kazama thinks wistfully. Hours wasted on reviewing and cramming information into Tachikawa’s brain.

“Kazama-san, isn’t it about time we take a break?” Says Tachikawa, slumped against the table.

“Tachikawa.” Kazama gives him what Suwa has dubbed the ‘eerie as fuck patented glare’ from across the table. “You’ve barely gotten through two chapters.”

“So I’ve gotten through two chapters!”

“Just shut up and _focus_ on your worksheet.”

As Tachikawa goes back to work, Kazama wonders if he’s somehow enabling Tachikawa to not study periodically. If he only applied himself, but it wouldn’t be Tachikawa to be interested in something that wouldn’t give him direct stimulation the way a physical fight would.

The clock says it’s a while until dinnertime. Mustering up the energy to go through another painfully slow explanation, Kazama takes a deep breath.

At the very least, he’ll get some good katsu curry tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> An idea for this came from Chippo's BBF Translation:
> 
> Q.044: How is Kazama-san so overflowing with manliness?  
> Because he has a track record of having overcome numerous obstacles with wisdom and discipline.
> 
> And thank you, my amazing captain and friend, Anna, for these tag suggestions:  
> #suffering  
> #not all kouhai can be like Osamu or Utagawa
> 
> Lastly, I'm so sorry Kazama. May you get the relaxation you deserve. I started writing this months ago and I finally finished it. What is writing style or grammar. Unbeta-d, so I'm sorry for any mistakes you may see. Please feel free to comment below!


End file.
